1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of creating a database of component parts and searching the database for a particular component part.
2. Description of the Related Art
Almost all machines, appliances, vehicles, etc. are formed of many component parts such as brackets, fasteners, connectors, frames and other parts that can be characterized by their visual appearance. If a particular part fails on a consumer product, the consumer may seek to replace the component part rather than replace the entire consumer product. In order to locate a source for the replacement part, the consumer may conduct a search on an Internet search engine by entering a keyword or descriptor of the component part.
A problem with conducting an online search for a component is that the consumer may not know the preferred descriptive term for the part he is searching for. This problem is compounded by the fact that there may be several possible terms that can be used to describe a particular component, and the component may not be indexed by any of the terms that the searcher is familiar with. Further compounding the problem is that the searcher's native language may not be the language by which the component parts are indexed. Yet another problem is that even if the searcher enters the best descriptor for the desired part, the search results may include many variations of the component, very few of which would fit the searcher's needs. For example, there are a great many variations of brackets, and thus a searcher would have to examine a large number of brackets provided in a computerized search in order to find a bracket that suits his needs.
Similar problems in locating parts are faced by a product designer. It is often less expensive to purchase existing components than to design and manufacture small quantities of a component from scratch. Although a product designer is more likely to be familiar with part descriptors than a consumer, a product designer must overcome many of the same problems described above in order to find an existing part that fits a particular application.
Still another problem is that each part supplier typically has its own web site. Thus, a searcher may have to search through a great many different web sites in order to find the part that he is looking for.
What is needed in the art is a method of developing a database of parts, and allowing the database to be searched in a way that avoids the problems discussed above, thereby enabling a user to more easily find a part having particular characteristics.